


I'm Sorry, I Need to Move On

by corsair



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, Gen, We are never ever ever getting back together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2013-12-18
Packaged: 2018-01-05 02:35:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1088572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/corsair/pseuds/corsair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma tells Neal why they two of them can never be a romantic pair again.  Scene takes place at Granny's diner because it is the best setting for everything.  Imagine this takes place before (SPOILERS) Storybrooke is destroyed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Sorry, I Need to Move On

Emma stared up at the clock across from her booth.  She had told him to meet her here at 11.  It was 10:55.  She was half afraid and half hoping that he wouldn’t show, but she knew they needed to have this talk.  Neither of them was going to be able to move on without having this conversation.

            She heard the door’s bell.  She looked up and saw Neal enter the diner.  Neal smiled his big, goofy, endearing smile as he took a seat across from Emma. Emma forced herself to smile back.  She felt her heart sink.  He really had no idea what he was walking into.  This was going to make what she had to do so much harder.

            “Hey.” It was the best way she could think to greet him.

            “Hey.  I’m glad you invited me here.  I’ve wanted to talk to you for a long time.” Was Neal purposely trying to tug on her heartstrings?

            “I want to talk to you too, but I’m worried you misunderstood my invitation.” Emma scowled through the sentence.  “This is not about rekindling our lost romance.  This is about closure.”  
            Neal furrowed his brow.  Emma had caught him off guard.  “Then why didn’t you just tell me to go away?  Why invite me here and get my hopes up?”

            “I didn’t mean to get your hopes up.  I thought you understood.” she explained.  “And I don’t want you to go away.  You’re always going to be a part of my life because of Henry.  You’re his father.  I want you to be there for him and I know you want to be there for him too.”

            “So let me see if I got this straight,” Neal began, “you want me to be part of Henry’s family, you want me to be his father, but you don’t want to be with me.”  
            “That about sums it up.” Emma sighed as she tried to find the best words for what she had to say.  “Neal, I love you.  I always will love you, but I stopped being _in love_ with you the day I was arrested.  It’s been incredibly hard for me to get over that betrayal but I did eventually manage to move on.  I can’t move backwards, not now, not after how far I’ve come.  I’m sorry.  I know why you did what you did but it doesn’t change how it felt then or how it still feels now.  Our relationship was 11 years ago.  Moving on and moving forward is the best thing for the both of us.”

            “And this doesn’t have anything to do with the pirate?” Neal was incredulous.

            “I’ll admit that I do feel something for Hook.  I have to sort out those feelings as well, but believe me when I tell you that they are completely separate from my feelings for you.  Even if Hook wasn’t around I don’t think I could be with you romantically again.” Emma hoped she was explaining herself well.  Her feelings for both men were complex enough to write full novels on and here she was trying to sum them up before lunch.

            “If that’s what you say I’ll believe you.” said Neal.  
            “That’s a lie.” said Emma.

            “Not exactly, it will be true I just need some time to accept it.” replied Neal, looking down.

            “I understand,” Emma began, “but in the meantime let’s focus on what’s really important:  Henry.”

            “Right.  You still want me to be his father,” started Neal.  “I’ll be honest, it’s gonna be hard to be around you, Emma.  But you’re right I do still want to be a father to Henry.  I want him to have parents.  I want him to have what we never did.  I will be there for him and I’ll spend as much time with him as you think is right.”  
            “I’m glad to hear it.  I know Henry will be happy too.  If it’s too hard for you to be around me right now, I understand.  It’s hard for me to be around you too.  If you want, in the meantime I can have Regina, David or Mary Margaret drop Henry off and pick him up when you’re spending time with him.” The idea had just occurred to Emma on the spot but she liked the sound of it.

            “Yeah, I like the sound of that.  It’s best for us to ease into our new roles around each other.” Neal really did agree.

            With that Neal moved from the booth to a stool at the counter.  Both Emma and Neal ordered lunch.  They ate their meals separately, in quiet acceptance of each other’s presence. Emma felt relief.  She was glad she had gotten all of that off her chest.  She knew it was best for the both of them.  Now they could both begin to heal.


End file.
